*Special thanks to President Sarkozy-whats-his-name for making even my 150rs ka purple lacy scarf from Gulf (the Bazar :-P) a symbol of revolution, world-wide. ( o ya I`m going international baby, woohoo)

People would often ask me “how did you start” (ya the paparazzi want my Hijab story baaad) and unfortunately I never really had those cool sounding stories, you know of near-death experiences and unrequited love. So I would smile, put on my “serenity descending” look and start making vague references to faith and spirituality (what four years in uni teach you: when you don`t know the answer, look intelligent). The truth is my love story with Deen started way afterwards.

How It All began *duff roll*:
Ironically it was just a result of trying to prove that Hijab is NOT a requirement of Islam that started this whole journey. So I picked up the Qur`an one fine day and started looking at the verse that “they” said had the rulings and to cut a long story short, emerged shamefaced only a few minutes later. “They” had been right! Its right there in the translation, you don`t even need to look for detail. The words “head-covering” and “outer-garment” (jilbab/abaya/coat/chador) were staring right at me and I found myself staring back uncomfortably:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and that they should not display their zeenat (adornment)except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof that they should draw their head-coverings over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments.

(Surah An-Noor: 31)

So there you have it, along with the list of Mehrams. So please, really, stop asking me to shake hands with your new husband. Seriously, I`m very happy you got married and all but really spare me the “honor”. And stop asking me why I wasn`t in Hijab in my bedroom, there`s a list, refer to it:-P

And honestly I have only one brother, so don`t even go down THAT road with me. Also please note the list does not include fiancées or any other such stuff 😛

“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad).That is more suitable that they will be recognized and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 59)

So that was it, every trip outside thereafter, with my head uncovered became torture. My friends would be ogling eye-candy and I would be counting eye-candy, literally. I stopped seeing men as men but as little sins walking by 😀 That’s when I decided things had gone far enough! And Voila alhumdolillah I donned my Hijab and was at peace. My world was all right again, men went back to being eye-candy and sins went back to err being sins again :S And really that about sums up my Hijab story.

Seriously I was just so surprised by the amount of hate and negative stuff pouring in (dramatic moi:P) . And Gosh I thought I lived in the ISLAMIC republic of Pakistan? There were the sneers, and the “are you crazy” and the “that’s wat old women wear”, and the “but it’s a shadi” and the cruel-est for teenage-me (sniff): “you look pretty without it” <that wasn’t a glass breaking, that was my heart:P >. And the muttering of “holier-than-thou” and the “baton-wielding Mullahs are upon us”. Firstly sister, last I checked under my Burqa I was still a female (but you`re right these things have a way of changing :P), and the only baton I am likely to wield is my hot pink Sony e-book reader’s stylus (o ya I got one of those). I mean how can you spew so much hatred? This piece of cloth that isn`t even on your person can invoke such a reaction? Wow! You got some issues. And how could you assume I`m being self-righteous? Really I didn`t even open my mouth (yet)!! (yes I can open it with the niqab, really:P ). Reminds me of that story my dad used to tell us about the man who heard about fancy-sounding ideas like “freedom of choice” and “liberty” for the first time. So this guy goes out in the street and punches somebody in the face.

Seriously when you think about all the I-am-a-face-less-superhero-dude-and-i-am-here-to-save-you movies that have come out, you would think society would be more accepting of Niqabis, I mean the Joker, the Scream guy, the Spider dude, the Chimgadar dude, the Ninja turtles, and there was even a “Man without a Face” and as God is my witness I swear I have one of those. Yes face, there IS one of those behind my Niqab. O jeez don`t look so surprised:P
We have a whole festival based on face masks. That would be everyday (thanks to makeup:P). No Bushra its not Valentine`s Day either. Yes its called Halloween. You`re getting sharper Bushra:P

And lets not even mention the plethora of face-less people on social networks. So why is it so difficult to accept them:

Salam sis Malo. Wow, very nice story and i like how you deliver it mashaa’Allah. If you will allow me, can I repost this on my little blog? Please, I will link your blog of course. Thanks in advance.The Hijabers Index

Once I got asked (by the press secretary of the High Commissioner) “why do you wear a head-scarf?” and I replied. “Because in Islam, it is an obligation to have the head covered and I feel most comfortable in a head scarf. Besides, this is my way of expressing myself” she said, “Did your parents tell you to do it?” I said, “No, it was my own decision” and baby, did she give me that look or what *Afro head swing and finger twirl* Malo, I LOVE you for being up-front and honest about your ideas! You are an epitome of a Muslim Lady, not a “Modern Muslim Lady” because a lady who understands Islam and follows it just CANNOT be bound by “times”.
p.s: I don’t meet high commissioners everyday :p
p.s.s.: you’re not the only wanna be black apparently :p

send this to express tribune… awesome read i must say! can i admit to something here?! i’m actually envious of Muslim women who wear the head scarf, only if it’s for all the right reasons mind you, simply because i think it takes a whole lot of Taqwa to make that kind of commitment to one’s faith… and honestly we’d all like to see ourselves there too, one day Insha Allah… it’s just easier to hate the hijabi for making me insecure about my own faith than be appreciative of her! PUBLISH this blog woman, it’s really good